


‘Tis New to Thee

by Starjelly



Category: A Discovery of Witches (TV), All Souls Trilogy - Deborah Harkness
Genre: Diana/Mathew being adorable, F/M, Fluff, seriously, this is just a bunch of chapters of Jack getting to be a kid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-21 00:41:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17632832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starjelly/pseuds/Starjelly
Summary: What if Diana and Mathew had brought Jack back to the present with them?





	‘Tis New to Thee

* * *

“No.”

“Matthew”

“I said no Diana.”

Diana sighed. “We may be living in the 15th century, but you do not get to end conversations just because you don’t like them.”

Matthew shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He took a deep breath, and Diana could tell he was attempting to control his anger and fear. When Matthew opened his eyes, Diana was relieved to see normal sized pupils framed by blue staring back at her, and the never- ending black that signaled his blood rage.

“Mon coeur,” Matthew said, “this is a terrible idea. Your father was right - we’ve been here too long, and we’ve made too much of an impact on this time. We have no idea what we’re going back to, and we cannot risk changing any more than we already have. Bringing Jack with us...” he trailed off for a few moments, turning away from her to control his expression, “Who knows what the effect would be?! Jack may not make it into history books, but he may go on to influence great artists, or be the father of someone we know in the future.”

Diana scoffed at him, the deep protectiveness over her adopted son rising as anger.

“I think you know as well as I do that it is much more likely that Jack will die within five years of us leaving.”

“You don’t know that.” He snapped, turning back to her. His eyes quickly went black and Diana took a half step back, her expression softening, knowing that she had to tread carefully.

“Matthew,” she said gently, moving closer “you and I both know that once we’re gone, Jack’s going to end up back on the streets. Your family can’t take him in because there’s too much of a risk that past you will meet him, and if we leave him with Hal or anyone else, he will run away. When he does, it’s only a matter of time before he’s either caught stealing and executed, or he’s going to die in one of the many plagues that sweeps through London in the next ten years.”

Matthew turned away from Diana and looked out the window. His hands trembled slightly, and he gripped the window frame to still them.

“You know I’m right Matthew. We are his family! He sees you as his father, and he loves and trusts us. If we leave, he’ll be devastated. We can provide him with the family he deserves, the childhood he deserves, the life he deserves. If he comes with us, he can do whatever he wants, be whoever he wants.”

Matthew sighed, bowing his head before turning back towards her. Diana moved closer and took his hands in hers. As she looked into his now blue eyes, Diana knew she had convinced him.

“Alright, let’s say for a second that I think you’re right. Let’s say that we bring him back with us. Have you thought about if it’s even possible? You’re already going to be carrying me, Corra and the baby. You’ve said that timewalking with another person is hard, do you really think you’re up to carrying all of us?”

Matthew squeezed her hands gently, his mind already running through the practicalities.

“I already spoke with Goody Alsop about this, and she says that another person shouldn’t be a problem.” Diana said, her heart beating faster with the knowledge that they were going to do this, they were going to save Jack. “The baby and Corra are a part of me - I can’t leave them behind when I walk down the street, and I won’t be able to leave them behind when timewalking either. As for you and Jack, as long as both of you are holding onto me there shouldn’t be a problem. Timewalking to the past was hard because I had to hold you and concentrate on the objects and picture a time and place I didn’t know. Moving forward requires me to focus on the spell, and an area I’m familiar with. It should be easier.”

“How do you plan to hold onto Jack?” Matthew asked. “You need one hand free to work your spell, and the last time I checked, you only had two hands.”

Diana had to suppress a smile. If Matthew was arguing minute details, it meant that he was ready to agree with her.

“Matthew, he’s eight. And he’s tiny. I’m sure that we can find some way to carry him and leave one of my hands free. Worst case scenario, he rides piggyback for the trip.”

Matthew sighed, bringing her hand to his lips. “Alright” he said, “But, we’re going to ask him first. We’re going to explain all of this to him, and if he agrees then we’ll move ahead from there.”

Diana wrapped her arms around her husband and kissed him furiously, tears glistening on her cheeks.

* * *

 

Jack was nervous when Mistress and Master Roydon called him into the study. He hadn’t done anything wrong, and everyone around the house was acting strangely. Pierre and Françoise kept whispering, Annie was sad, and every visitor gave him a pitying look. He knew that his time at the house was over. He didn’t know what he was going to do with his life, he knew he was going back on the street, but he didn’t want to.  He didn’t want to steal anymore, he doesn’t want to steal for anymore, but he doesn’t really have a choice if the Roydons decide they don’t want him anymore.  It would be easier to run.  He doesn’t have to hear them say that they don’t want him anymore, that he’s too much for them, that with a baby coming he’s no longer wanted.  He doesn’t need to be rejected by the only family he’s ever known.  But at the same time, he needs to know what he did to make them hate him. So he swallows his fear, squeezes his hands into fists to stop them shaking, and knocks on the door.  

Matthew bids him to enter, and as the door swings open, Jack tries desperately to keep the tears from coming to his eyes.  Diana was sitting in the chair behind the desk, while Matthew was perched on the desk itself, but as the boy entered, he got up and moved around to pull another chair close to Diana.  

“Please sit, Jack” Matthew said, gesturing to the chair he had just moved.   The boy quickly took a seat. 

“I’m sure you’re wondering why we asked you here Jack,” Diana said gently, and Jack quickly nodded in response. “Jack, Matthew and I...” she paused and looked at her husband, unsure of what to say.  “I’m sure that you’ve noticed that Matthew and I aren’t like other people.”

“You mean that you’re both spies for the queen?” Jack asked.  Matthew and Diana both burst out laughing.  

“Well...yes,” said Diana, “But more than that as well.” 

“Jack,” Matthew said gently, “Do you know what a wearh is?” Jack nodded tentitively. 

“I know you’re one,” he said, “and Mistress Roydon is a witch.”  Diana smiled widely at him 

“See, I told you he knew!” She said proudly to Matthew.  Jack felt himself blush as both adults looked at him proudly. 

“Jack” said Master Roydon, “Mistress Roydon isn’t just a witch, she is what is known as a ‘timewalker.’  This means that she can travel in time.  Do you understand what this means?”  Jack shook his head.  “It means that Mistress Roydon can go back and revisit things that have already happened, she can live a day and then go back and live the day again.”

“You mean if she really likes breakfast, she can go and have it again?” Jack asked.

“Exactly” said Master Roydon, smiling at the small boy.  “It means that she can also go forward in time as well, so after she eats the breakfast, she can go back to the end of the day without having to relive it again.  Does that makes sense?” Jack nodded.  

“Now, we need to tell you something, and if you don’t understand we need you to tell us right away.” Jack nodded again.  “Good.” 

“Jack,” Diana said carefully, “You know that it is strange for witches and wearh to be together right?” The boy nodded.  “Well, many people were not happy that Matthew and I fell in love, and they tried to hurt us.” 

“Why didn’t you have Corra make them to stop?” Jack asked. 

“I didn’t have Corra when this happened.” Diana took a breath “We decided that we needed to go somewhere where people couldn’t find us, but there was no place that was safe, so we decided to go back in time.”  

“You traveled back….?” Jack said, struggling to comprehend all that she was saying. 

“Exactly!” Diana said smiling at the boy. She knew he would understand. “But we didn’t go back to breakfast Jack, we went back a very, very, long time.”

“How long?” He asked.

“Almost 400 years.” Said Diana.  

“Is that a very long time?” 

“It is long enough for a child to go from boy to man almost eight times over.” Matthew said gently.  

“Oh.” Said Jack.  “Are you going back?”

“Yes we are.” Diana said. 

Jack took a deep breath and tried not to cry.  “When?” he croaked, a sob caught in his throat distorting the word.

“In two days.  There are a few things we need to take care of before we can leave.”

“Will you ever come back?”  Jack didn’t even try to hide the pain in his voice.

“No, we can’t.” Diana looked at Matthew, silently asking him to take over.

“Jack,” Matthew said gently, “we want to know if you want to come with us.”

Jack froze.  He hadn’t been expecting this.  They want him to go with them, but that couldn’t be possible. No one wanted him - he had been passed from person to person, gang to gang, where he was lucky to get food once a day.  Being with the Roydon’s had been a dream, but it was never supposed to last.  

“YES!” Jack yelled when his brain finally processed all they were saying. 

“Now Jack,” Matthew said calmly, “we need you to understand that if you go with it, you cannot come back.  Everyone you know will be gone, everything will be new and different. The world will have changed, and if you don’t like it you will be stuck there.”

Jack thought for a moment. “Can I bring Mop?” 

“I’m afraid not.” Said Diana.  “We have to be completely honest Jack, the more people I try to bring with me, the harder it is.  We aren’t even sure if I’ll be able to carry you, but we are going to do everything we can to make sure that you come with us.”

“What will happen if I get left behind?” Jack asked. 

“If you get left, Northumberland has agreed to look after you.  But hopefully it won’t come to that.”  Matthew said

“Jack,” Diana said gently “there’s one more thing.  If you come with us to the future, you won’t be working for us.”

“I won’t?” Jack was puzzled. If he wasn’t working for them, what would he being doing?

“No.  If it’s okay with you, we’d like to be a family.”  

“A family? You mean you’ll be my parents?”

“If you want...” Matthew said softly. 

Jack swallowed, he had one more thing he had to ask, one more thing he had to know before he could agree to go with them.

“What about the baby?” He asked, so quietly Diana could barely hear him.

“What about the baby?” Diana asked gently.

“Why-how could you want me when you’ll have a child of your own? Your own flesh and blood-“

It was Matthew’s turn to cut Jack off, drawing the small boy into his arms.  “Jack, we love you.” The vampire said gently, “We want you to be a part of this family, and you’re already our son in every way that matters. The baby won’t replace you - you’ll be its big brother and its protector.”  
  
At this, Jack began to cry, his tears flowing freely as he buried himself deeper into his father’s arms.  He had never been happier.  

* * *

 

It took them two days to get everything organized.  Matthew went over what needed to be done with Gallowglass and Pierre, while Diana gathered up everything that needed to be destroyed or hidden before past Matthew came back. They didn’t tell anyone of their plan to take Jack with them in case it didn’t work, making sure that everyone knew the boy was supposed to go with Lord Northumberland, and that Gallowglass would keep an eye on him when he would inevitably run away.  Since Diana would need one hand free in order to manipulate her weaver cords, it was decided that Jack would hold Diana’s free hand while Matthew would stand on her other side and hold onto her wrist.  Flanked on either side by the two most important men in her life, Diana couldn’t believe that it took her traveling back in time to find her family.  

“With this knot of one, the spell’s begun” she said as she tied the first knot.  Around her, threads of different colors burst into being, and the blue-gold glow in the corner of the room grew.  

**Author's Note:**

> This is not going to be a rewrite of third book, but instead a series of snapshots of the Bishop-Clairmont family with young Jack involved. There will be scenes from the third book, but mostly it will be Jack adjusting to life in the present, and the family interacting with him.


End file.
